Green and lots of green head to Arizona

Tot Holmes

01/10/2005

The trade talks that began months ago and were off and on more often than a traffic light, finally was consummated -- pending physicals -- with Shawn Green moving to Arizona along with $10 million and the Dodgers receiving the young catcher they covet and three young pitchers.

The move subtracts Green's $16 million contract and after the check is sent to the Diamondbacks the Dodgers will have $6 million left to sign free-agent pitcher Derek Lowe to a four-year, $36-million contract.
Green agreed to waive his no-trade clause and will receive a $2 million signing bonus and an added two years to the length of his contract, paying him $8 million in 2006 and $9.5 million in 2007.
Heading for L.A., at least for the Dodgers' minor league system are former Yankee catcher Dioner Navarro and three minor league pitchers — William Juarez, Danny Muegge and Beltran Perez, all from Arizona.
Details were worked out after the Dodgers sweetened the pot with another $2 million above and beyond the original $8 million in the offer. The two extra pitchers are compensation for the extra money.
Green was a Dodger for five seasons, averaging 30 home runs and 102 runs batted in. He had a sensational two-season stretch in 2001-02, hitting 91 homers and driving in 239 runs. A shoulder injury hurt his production the last two seasons, but he finished strong last summer and hit three home runs against the St. Louis Cardinals in the playoffs.
Lowe, who was 14-14, 5.42 with Boston, sparkled in the World Series, recording a 3-0, 1.86 mark as Boston won its first World Series since Babe Ruth was traded to the Yankees in 1920.
The Dodger rotation will include Brad Penny, Jeff Weaver and Odalis Perez, whose re-signing to a three-year, $24 million deal will be officially announced today. The Lowe acquisition will be announced as soon as a physical in Los Angeles clears him.
The No. 5 spot could be filled by -- pick one -- left-hander Kazuhisa Ishii, young right-hander Edwin Jackson or veterans Wilson Alvarez and Elmer Dessens.
As for the trio of 23-year-old pitchers the Dodgers will receive, Juarez was 27-19 in five seasons, although only 3-7 with a 5.00 earned-run average in double A the second half of last year. Muegge, a starter, was 14-4 with a 3.12 ERA in class A last season. Perez, who has pitched as a starter and reliever, had a 4.41 ERA in 37 games at double A. All three pitchers are 23.
Navarro is a keystone player the Dodgers have been after during the entire negotiations. The Diamondbacks acquired him last week from the New York Yankees in the Randy Johnson trade expressly to deal him to the Dodgers. He split last season between triple A and double A and was three for seven with the Yankees in a late-season call-up.
He is expected to begin next season at Triple-A Las Vegas, although the Dodger catching situation is tenuous. The team did not re-sign veteran Brent Mayne and the current roster includes only David Ross and career minor leaguer Mike Rose.